The Final Judgment of The Slayer
by spyagent001
Summary: Post BtVS/AtS. For the 3rd and final time, Buffy has died. Soon, she finds herself at the Gates of Heaven for judgment. Buffy watches her life unfold before her, but she isn't the only one in Heaven! The Divine Judges do not want to be interrupted, but the soul who comes is stronger than they think. What about The Powers That Be & their Champions? Do they deserve Heaven? B/A
1. Waking Up in Heaven

**Author's Note: Thanks for clicking on my fic! This idea has been in the making for a while and I finally got the first chapter down. I hope that you enjoy it. I don't want to give anything away...[*spoiler*] however, I hoped that you looked at the characters in this fic. It will all come in due time. :)**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Buffy or Angel. I wish I did (mostly Angel or Angelus). However, the three judges in this are my idea, and so is the idea for the story.

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_**Chapter 1: Waking Up in Heaven**_

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Buffy Anne Summers slowly opened her eyes and felt as if she had taken a very long and very deep slumber…

The pure white marble room was immaculate. Buffy was the only occupant, but she felt as if this room was somehow very important. Slowly, her memories returned. She had been fighting the most powerful enemy she had ever faced. The enemy had been an old but powerful spirit that had combined with yet another old and powerful demon. It had instigated a long-ago-prophesized apocalypse. She had defeated the demon and stopped the apocalypse, but had sacrificed herself yet again. Finally, she could be at rest. No demon, vampire, nor the First, or any other single living creature could have achieved that power…and yet, by putting two beings together, the power had killed Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer.

Actually, Buffy was the greatest Vampire Slayer to ever live, but she just hadn't been told yet.

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**Somewhere in another room somewhat near Buffy's room…**

"Excuse me, great Judge, but I believe that the Vampire Slayer has woken," said an angel.

"Indeed, it looks like she has. I believe that this time, she will stay," said Altreum.

"Yes, it appears that fate has finally decided for her soul to stay here. I believe it is time…"

"Yes. She belongs in Heaven. It is time for us to judge her. Her life and actions must be examined. It will take a long time. She is a Slayer, the greatest Vampire Slayer, and also one of the greatest champions for the Powers That Be. Now, it is her turn to watch. Send for her."

"Yes. In which area of the Hall of Judgments shall we hold The Final Judgment?"

"In the Hall of the Champions. Open the best room there. It is the room for beings of power and good."

"Oh, that room, sir?"

"Yes. Buffy Anne Summers, Master Slayer and Champion, deserves nothing less. Now, go. She has waited far too long," commanded Alexis.

After the angel left, Altreum, one of the Final Judges, called the remaining two judges. He was thinking,

_"It has been many earth years since the death of a Slayer. Though those years felt like nothing to us, the Judges, when compared to our life of eternity, a slayer living for so long is extremely rare. Normally, slayer judgments happened every few years. However, this odd slayer has come along to change everything. Now, slayer judgments are more common, but not for the usual reason of a slayer dying young and quickly. No, simply put, there just happen to be many more slayers, thanks to this one who has just recently come. I wonder how she will stir up Heaven."_

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After exploring the small, but cozy room, Buffy discovered that it looked vaguely like a white-laced-with-gold version of her room. It was just as she liked it…was it a coincidence? Somehow, she didn't think so. There was the bed, which she had woken up in, two bedside tables each on either side of the bed, a mirror on the left side of the room, a desk on the right, and single door on the opposite side of the room. As she took it all in, more and more recent memories flooded her mind. They felt slightly distant as if they had happened a long time ago.

Suddenly, Buffy heard a soft knocking at her door.

"May I come in?" a voice said softly on the other side of the door.

"Yes," Buffy said cautiously.

As the door slowly opened, a head, a body, and shiny white feathered wings emerged.

"Hello, Buffy. Welcome to Limbo or Purgatory, as others call it. It is a realm between the worlds where souls arrive once they are done with their life. They come here to be judged and sent to their final resting place. You came through approximately one earth day ago. I am an angel. You may call me Juliette."

"What? I'm dead? This is just my soul? What's going on?" exclaimed Buffy.

"All will be explained. There are only a few things that you need to know. First, you are Buffy Anne Summers, the Vampire Slayer. You fought your last enemy, as all Slayers must, and sacrificed yourself to save the world again. When you got here, your soul had taken so much in its life that it collapsed from exhaustion upon entering The First Gate. Now, I have been sent here to bring you to the Hall of Judgment. There, you and the three great judges will examine your life, your past actions, and your heart. They will be the ones to finally determine if you can go to Heaven."

"I have a feeling that I have been here before…have I?"

"Actually, yes. This is your third visit. The first time, you only stayed briefly. You hadn't even stepped through the gates before you disappeared. The second, we went through a slightly different transition because the fates and The Powers That Be warned us that you would be called back. However, this is your Final Judgment. Everything you did and everything you left behind…you'll see it all. It will be as if you are watching a movie."

"I remember dying the first and second time…" Buffy dreamily stated.

"Yes, and you died just after this past battle for the third, and hopefully the final, time. Now, we should go. The judges are waiting."

"Um, ok. If that is what I'm supposed to do."

"Yes, it is. Please follow me."

With that, Juliette turned around. Buffy followed Juliette as they walked down the halls, took a left, and walked to the far side of the room they were in.

"We just left the Resting Hall. Weary souls that collapse are brought here first," Juliette stated informatively.

Then, Juliette pressed her hand to the wall and said, "Door, open and grant us passage."

Silently, a previously invisible door opened in the white wall. Buffy had been expecting some grand staircase or glorified ladder, but a fancy elevator appeared instead. They stepped into the elevator, and Juliette pushed a button on the panel. An image similar to a holograph appeared in the space in front of them.

"Transport to: The Hall of Champions in the Hall of Judgment," said Juliette.

The image disappeared, and the elevator shifted up for a few moments before sliding to the right.

Still a little uncomfortable with the entire situation, Buffy decided to lighten up the mood.

"You know, when I pictured Heaven, I was thinking trumpets, singing, golden light, and tons of angels. I didn't expect that there would be so many halls..."

"That's what everyone says!" exclaimed Juliette. "Why you all think that is beyond me. Silly humans. I mean, there is all of that if you want, but it's only once you have actually gone past the actual Gates of Heaven. Heaven is far simpler than that. It is what you make it to be, but there is light, there are angels, and there are souls of those who have lived their life and passed their final judgments."

"Really?"

"Yes, but most of all, there is peace. Peace, harmony, and well, love if you find it. It's the greatest place in the world. Pure bliss. I can't describe what it looks like because you create your own and make it how you want it. It's not so much the place, but the people-or rather souls-that you stay with."

"That sounds...nice. I haven't had much peace since being called as a Slayer."

"Few humans ever truly do, and even fewer slayers. However, don't worry. I believe that you will find peace here."

"Thank you. I hope I will."

"Yes, you will, but it won't..." Juliette stopped. "Nevermind."

Although she was slightly confused, Buffy chose to ignore it.

Then, the elevator went up once more and forward. Finally, the doors slid open to reveal another white marble room bathed in a soft light. A sign in gold letters said, "HALL OF JUDGMENT."

"As the sign says, welcome to The Hall of Judgment. There are 3 doors in front of you. However, neither is your door. For us to reach the Hall of Champions, you must speak your name, your race, and your title," explained Juliette.

"Ok. My name is Buffy Anne Summers. I am human, and I am the Vampire Slayer."

A very light rumble shook the room. In flash of light, another door appeared. Buffy looked back at Juliette to see her nodding. Softly, Juliette stated, "Yes, that door is for you. Go."

"I will see you when you are done. You will be in there as long as the judges see fit. After all, time is irrelevant for you now. I would get comfortable because you might be in there for a while."

Buffy walked through the doors. Another hallway with yet another door appeared just as the Hall of Judgment melted away in front of her. More white marble greeted her; however, this time, gold and black were mixed in. Each column going down the corridor alternated between black and white marble. Within each column, gold and silver streaked through. The floor was composed of the same alternating marble but in squares. At the end of the hallway, a massive set of double doors etched with intricate patterns slowly creaked open.

"Welcome to the Hall of Champions, Slayer. Gaze upon the walls at all who came before you, and all the good that has been achieved since the beginning of time. This room holds the history of the world and the history of your Slayer lineage," a loud voice boomed. "Enter the door when you are ready. We wait here for your Final Judgment."

Gazing upon the walls as the voice suggested, Buffy did indeed see the history of Earth. This stone recollection of history included the history of the Slayers. Buffy could only stare amazed at each and every slayer whose faces were etched into the wall. In turn, she felt as if they were staring back at her. Buffy could only imagine the life she had lived in comparison to the other slayers. Buffy was in awe of the sheer power she could feel coming from the room. Slowly, she began walking towards the doors. With each step, events in history that Buffy had never heard of were displayed on the wall. Tiles showed a flood, light, darkness, the Earth, people, The First, The Powers That Be, demons, angels, and more recent events. Some were angels, some human, and some were something in between. There were many tiles showing past slayers fighting. Some won and some lost. Great demons rose and fell.

Buffy continued walking…until she reached a few blank frames at the end of the hall. One had a mirror with a frame that was the approximately the size of Buffy. It extended to the floor and was embroidered with white gold. A thin line of black swirled around the frame. Oddly enough, there was another frame that touched the one with the mirror. It was an almost exact copy except that there were a few more dark lines scattered around, and it had no mirror. However, a red line from the framed mirror and a white line from the copycat frame formed a heart around the two. The sections of the frames where the two joined was different. She couldn't quite describe it, but it just didn't fit with the rest. The other blank panels surrounding the two in the heart were gray, but they felt very important to Buffy. In her mind, she felt that somehow, they belonged to her.

"Odd," Buffy thought to herself, "I wonder why these blank frames are here. Why does that one have a mirror and a partner frame? And why the red heart?"

Although she wasn't expecting an answer, Buffy glanced at the doors with a questioning face, wondering if the voice was going to answer her. No answer came.

"Well, I guess that it's time for me to go in. This hall has so much, and I don't really want to keep the judges waiting…" Buffy thought.

Standing tall with her shoulders thrown back and a determined look on her face, Buffy stepped through the door.

She found herself facing three beings. They had the bodies of humans, wings and faces of angels, and human eyes. Their eyes, so old and deep, gazed back at Buffy. One could almost feel like drowning in their depth. The Judges had seen everything. Well, almost everything. Little did they know that when this potential Slayer had been activated that _she_ had been the one of Destiny's prophecy who would change everything. Evil would have finally suffered a great blow.

The three Divine Judges stared at the petite blond woman in front of them and could only marvel at her grace, beauty, and the sense that she belonged here. Her soul was beautiful even in death. It was amazing that one human, one woman, could radiate so much…power and vitality.

"Welcome to your Final Judgment. Together, we will go through your life. You, Buffy Anne Summers, will see the world and all that happened while you lived. Should we determine that you lived a good and humble life, you shall be allowed to enter the gate into Heaven where you may rest for all eternity beyond The End of Days. All who have died before you and made it to Heaven will be there. All those who make it after you will join you. Are you ready?"

Though Buffy knew she had been waiting for this moment, she could not help but stare at the entities in front of her with awe and feel the finality of it all. Everything was finally coming together.

"Yes," Buffy said with a confidence she did not know she possessed.

"Very well then. Let us begin The Final Judgment."

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**I hoped that you liked this first chapter. I can't update immediately as I am very busy right now, but I will do it as soon as I can. This fic will be finished.**

**I'm really excited that I finally get to post my first Buffy fic. This is my second (posted) fanfic. Please read & review. I genuinely want to know what you think and where this should go. PM me if you have any ideas, questions, etc. Or if you want to chat about well, anything. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Avengers, David Borenaz, Bones, NCIS. Yeah, you get the point. (P.S. Happy Birthday to David Boreanaz. His birthday was a few days ago-may 16th...if you don't already know, he has a Twitter account. You can follow him.)**

**Please review! It makes me happy when you do! (Oh, and it encourages and inspires my Muse) Even a short review is great.**

**Sincerely,**

**L**

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Chapter Posted: The 20th of May, 2012

Last Updated: The 16th of June, 2012


	2. Memories of When You Were Young

**Happy Memorial Day! I hope you all are enjoying the summer so far. Yes, I finally got this out! Sorry to have delayed it a day, but someone decided to mess with my laptop. Not my fault! Sorry, but here is the chapter! If you read _all the way through_, I promise you will be happy! There are a few somewhat subtle hints throughout, but it really culminates in...nah, I don't want to give that much away! :) Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Buffy. Buffy and Angel would have ended up together in the end.

Buffy's definition of the Slayer comes from the beginning of the opening credits from the first season.

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_**Chapter 2: Memories of-When You Were Young**_

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Two waterfalls, one on the left side and one on the right side of the room, were flowing. The simple waterfall on the left had normal, clear water. The other looked less mundane and more like it belonged it heave. This waterfall had gold water which shined almost as bright as the sun. Light that emanated from both bathed the room is a soft glow. The floor, composed of more white marble, was etched with the most intricate designs and one could get lost attempting to follow it. Each square was a work of art unto itself. The entire room was impressive; however, the Bench on which the Divine Judges was even more so. The Bench loomed over Buffy, but it was the simple fact that it appeared to be composed of brilliant diamond that really made it seem unreal. Each judge sat behind one section of the Bench. Though the bench's size was made to intimidate those who came before it, Buffy merely walked up to the table whose size paled in comparison to the Bench and stared at the Judges. She gazed evenly at each of the three until they finally decided to break the silence.

"I am Altreum, the First Judge," said the Judge to Buffy's left as he stood up.

"I am Mryin, the Second Judge," said the judge in the middle.

"And I am Omeniev, the Third Judge," said the final judge seated at the right.

In unison they said, "We are the Divine Tribunal. You are not accused of anything, but you are not cleared either. Everyone, even Slayers, must go through this. It is the only way to ensure that every soul which passes through the gate deserves to be here."

"So, let us begin at the very beginning," began Altreum.

"My birth?" questioned Buffy.

"No, before you were born. We will start with when your soul first came into existence. Before you interrupt, allow me to explain. You see, souls are born long before they manifest into a body. Your soul was in Limbo for a long time until it was called. Yes, even then your soul had been called. Souls born totally pure are rare. Typically, those souls become slayers. Your soul stays in Limbo until The Powers feel it is your time. Chances are, your soul has been around for a long time, but it's only been truly living for as long as you have. You have no memories of before you were born, but you will eventually," said Altreum.

"You're telling me that there was no way for me to _not_ become the Slayer?" exclaimed Buffy.

"If you want to put it that way, then yes. Slayers' souls are born when it is their time. Though there are many worthy souls, in every generation…"

"Please, save it. Giles, my second watcher as I'm sure you know, gave me that speech. For once, I'd like to give it," Buffy cut in slightly annoyed at receiving yet another history lesson. It was one that she had heard too many times.

The judge simply stared at her and said nothing, so she continued.

"In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is The Slayer."

"Are you finished, Slayer? I believe Altreum was speaking," said Mryin. "You would do well not to interrupt us."

For the first time, Omeniev spoke by himself.

"Calm down, Mryin. She was merely demonstrating that she knew what Altreum was going to say. This one is by far the smartest. I would be annoyed at hearing that speech again to."

"Yes, well I think we can all agree that she didn't mean to offend anyone. May I continue now?" said Altreum. "Good. As I was saying, not every pure soul is called on Earth to be a Slayer, but some slayers are born to play a part in history. You are the most famous of the Slayers, and you will be the most famous forever. Slayers are given power. They want that power to fight the darkness. Helplessness does not suit slayers. I wonder. Can remember the biggest incident of helplessness you experienced when you were younger? It was, consequently, the first time you faced this monster. The second time you fought it was its end."

Most of Buffy's memories had started to return by now. Actually, Buffy's memory felt sharper know, but there were a few memories that felt like they were missing. Something rather important hadn't quite come back to her yet. However, Buffy did remember that sad day.

"Yes," Buffy slowly began, "I do remember. It was when I was eight."

"Continue please," said Mryin.

"My cousin, Celia, had been in the hospital. She was in bed, and I went to see her. To me, I couldn't understand why she was there. Just a few days ago I had been playing with her in her front yard. Everything had been great. Then my parents took me to the hospital and told me that Celia was sick, and we were visiting her. It was sad to see her sick in bed that first time. The family talked, and then they got onto a "grown-up subject" and everyone left the room. By then, visiting hours were almost over. I wanted to say one last goodbye, so I snuck back in thinking no one would notice. The next thing I knew, Celia was tossing and turning in her bed. She was screaming up at the air above her, and I didn't know why. I could only sit there and watch because I couldn't do anything. I was too young, and I was scared too. I started crying and screaming too. Our parents finally rushed in and saw her just before she died. Of course, the doctors tried, but they couldn't do anything. My mother held me after she picked me up off the floor by the entrance. I cried myself to sleep."

"What did you learn?" said Omeniev.

"Looking back, I realize now that that moment was the first time I had ever truly felt helpless. I wished with all of my young hear that I could have done something. Anything," Buffy finished sadly.

"Yes, Der Kindestod was the demon that killed your cousin then. It's a nasty demon that deserved to die."  
"Yes, I finally avenged Celia. All that guilt I had felt over Celia's death was finally put to rest. Now, it can't terrorize any innocent children anymore."

"You got your wish, a hundred times over I might say," said Altreum.

"Yes, I know. I learned a long time ago that I was meant to be a Slayer, but I didn't realize until now that I was _born_ to be one. I see that now. I also see that I should never have fought being a Slayer. I can't imagine not being one. I shouldn't be amazed, but I am."

"Don't worry. It's perfectly fine to be amazed. We are amazed at how quickly you discovered that. Now, let's continue on with the rest of your childhood," answered Omeniev.

"Okay. I can't think of anything I did that was either important or bad."

"In order to speed this process up, we will look. Give us a few minutes please."

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead. Not like I'm getting any older."

The next few minutes were spent in silence.

"Great Slayer, we have finished. Would you like to know what we found?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I find that it would be better to show you. Chances are that you will not remember this memory, but we find that you will enjoy reliving it. Are you ready?" said Mryin.

"Yes, I'm ready."

**_Flashback to Buffy at age seven and her cousin, Celia, playing in Celia's front yard in summer…_**

"_Ahhh! Buffy that tickles!" squealed Celia._

"_I know, but it's making you laugh! So, I'll just keep doing it until you can't take it anymore!" screamed Buffy gleefully._

"_Stop it! Stop it!"_

"_No! It's too much fun!"_

_At this time, two boys around the age of 10 ride on their bicycles and pass by Celia's yard. Seeing Buffy and Celia, they stopped and decided to have a little fun._

"_Eeewww, look Matt. It's a couple of little girls," said the bigger boy with light blond hair._

"_Eeeeewww, Johnny. Let's get them!" said the other boy, Matt._

"_I don't think so. You two are just lame boys. Do you think you can take me? I'm smarter, prettier, and much better than a couple of icky boys," exclaimed Buffy. Celia, younger than Buffy, was scared and scooted behind Buffy._

"_Hey, you're gonna pay for that. Let's get them!"_

_Buffy yelled at Celia to run inside. As Celia ran into the house, Buffy quickly climbed up the nearest tree._

"_Why don't you come down and face us, little girl, or are you too scared?" taunted Matt as he and Johnny circled the base of the tree._

"_I'm not a little girl! My name is Buffy Summers and guess what?" Buffy said from the tree._

"_What?" the two boys said in unison._

"_I'm coming DOWN!" screamed Buffy as she jumped down in front of the Johnny. Buffy then pushed Johnny down and ran away. Matt then ran at her, but was quickly stopped when he tripped over her protruding foot. With both boys down, Buffy began to gloat._

"_Ha ha! I told you that I'm not a little girl! Take that you stupid boys._

_Inside, Celia watched from behind the screen porch door. She couldn't help but smile at her cousin's bravery._

_Back outside…_

_Quickly recovering, Johnny began to get up and proceeded to run at Buffy._

"_Stupid little girl!" he angrily yelled._

"_AAAHHH!" Buffy screamed. Then, she turned and ran towards the street. She happened to see their bikes, still standing up. Buffy got a brilliant idea. She sped towards Matt's bike, but only after she had kicked over Johnny's bike of course. Next, she pedaled hard and biked to the other side of the circle. Not thinking, Johnny foolishly ran after her. _

_After seeing Buffy and the boys ran off, Celia decided to help Buffy. She cautiously walked out of the house, onto the porch, and onto the lawn. Then, she spotted the bigger boy's bike and walked over to it._

"_Hmmm…I wonder what I can do with this…" thought Celia._

_Pedaling harder, Buffy made it to the top of the hill and waited. By this time, Matt had finally recovered as well and had almost caught up with Johnny. In pursuit of Buffy, they charged up the hill; however, they were not match for one Buffy Summers on a bike. Buffy turned right, and then turned right again at the next road. The boys began to slow down because they were tired from running up such a large hill. Buffy simply sped down the next cul-de-sac with a smile on her face. As soon as she made it to the bottom of the hill, she dumped the bike in the center and ran to the backyard of the house three doors down from Celia's house. Buffy sprinted back to Celia's house and went back to the front yard. Celia was waiting._

"_Hey wait, what happened to the other bike?" questioned Buffy._

"_I hid it in the woods! Those mean boys will never find it. Well, they might if they look in the creek."_

"_Oh Celia, you sneaky girl. Of course they'll never find it!" said Buffy in between girly giggles._

"_Okay. Buffy, that was amazing! You were so fast and smart! They didn't even think about getting their bikes."_

"_Yeah. I told them I was smarter! Maybe now they will believe me."_

_Matt and Johnny finally found Matt's bike, but Johnny realized that he would have to run yet again to go get his bike back. So, the two ran back up the road since they were unaware of the shortcut across the street._

_Buffy and Celia heard the boys coming; however, they were safely inside the living room and spying on them from the window._

"_Hey! They stole my bike!" yelled Johnny indignantly._

"_Dude, we better find it. I don't want to know what the parents will do when they find out we messed with some girls and your bike went missing."_

"_No, we didn't do anything. It was all the blonde's fault!"_

"_They had to take it to the woods! Let's go look."_

"_I hope they didn't put it in the creek. We don't have much time to look because they sun is going down. It will be dark soon and we have to be home in time to dinner or I'll never be able to have another play date again!"_

_On the sofa in the living room, Buffy and Celia laughed and laughed._

"_Oh Buffy, that was cool! You were so awesome!" said Celia._

"_Girls rule!" exclaimed Buffy._

_They laughed until their mothers came in and told them to get ready for dinner._

"Wow, I don't even remember that," said Buffy.

"No, you were too young. After Celia's death, most of your memories disappeared. Unlike an adult, a traumatized young person will not remember only the good times of a lost loved one," said Myrin.

"Yes. Our point is this: even then you were strong, brave, and smart. You had very little trouble in evading your enemies and fighting back. You were always born to be the Slayer that would change everything."

"Do you mean that everything I've done was prophesized? I had no real choice in it?"

"No, only a few things. Such as your calling at 15, your defeat of the Vampire King Lothos, your move to Sunnydale, and your first l-" said Omeniev.

"Stop, Omeniev. She gets the point," Altreum quickly cut in.

"Even your deaths were prophesized, Slayer. As were the apocalypses you were to be in, but the outcome was all based on you."

"Well, I had friends along the way, and I've always had…" Buffy couldn't actually remember who else she had. She still couldn't figure out why there was something missing, but it still felt as important as ever.

"Well, let's just say that I had help."

"Yes, highly unusual for a Slayer, but it appears to have been very effective," said Omeniev. He continued, "Now, allow me to finish explaining that memory just a little more. You were seven years old. Your cousin Celia was a little younger. You protected her, and you did it with the intelligence a Slayer must possess. For such a young girl, it is an extremely impressive feat."

"This memory is shorter than the last one, but I think you should see just how determined you were when you were young," said Altreum. A moment later, light shot out of his raised hand and flew to Buffy.

**_Flashback to Buffy age 11. She is on the school's playground where the "big-kid" monkey bars have yet to be conquered._**

"_I'm Jack and I'm a big kid. I made it all the way across the big-kid monkey bars and you didn't!" yelled a particularly large and rather boisterous young boy._

_Buffy heard this boy from the swings and decided that she had heard enough, so she got up and made her way to the big-kid monkey bars. Even though Jack thought he was the first, the 11-year old boy was really the second to make it all the way across. Buffy had done it last year, but he didn't know that._

"_Hey you, yeah you Jack. I bet you can't beat me! I already did that last year, but you weren't around," yelled Buffy._

"_Ha! You're just a tiny little girl. I'm a big boy. What can you do?" returned Jack._

"_I can beat you in a race across the monkey bars!" _

"_No way."_

"_RACE! RACE! RACE!" yelled the rest of the surrounding kids._

"_I'll race you to the other side and back!" challenged Buffy._

"_Fine. I'm not gonna be beat by some girl," accepted Jack._

_Buffy and Jack lined up at the start. Jack counted down, "Ready. 1…2... At 2, Jack grabbed the first bar, then the second, and finally yelled 3. He thought he had been quite sneaky in cheating Buffy, but as soon as he made it halfway, Buffy caught up in no time. When they reached the end, Jack had to jump down and then jump back up whereas Buffy, who had already mastered the art of turning around on the monkey bars, had simply switched her hand position and flipped around. She continued on and was already one-third of the way back when Jack had started._

_When Buffy reached the other end, she decided to one-up Jack once more by running around the bars. She made it back to the start with five-seconds left to spare. Jack finally dropped to the ground, totally embarrassed to have been defeated by some little girl who was so small._

"_Ha, I win! Take that you big bully!" yelled Buffy happily._

"Hey! I remember that! I had been so happy. When I told my mom that day, she only laughed at me and told me how proud of me she was," Buffy recounted. Buffy then remembered her mother and how she had died.

"Yes, Slayer. You were quite the lively young girl," said Myrin.

"Thank you, but I just remembered something. May I ask you all something?" said Buffy.

"Yes you may, but understand that we are not allowed to answer all of your questions. There is a time and place for everything," answered Altreum.

"Is my mother in heaven? I can't imagine her anywhere else, but I just need to know."

"Yes, Great Slayer. Your mother is in heaven, and so is your father. Both made their judgments, although I have to say that your father's took just a little longer. Those with ties to a Slayer are typically cross-examined, and there was a lot to go through with him. Ultimately, both made it, but they were not judged in this hall," replied Altreum.

"Oh well, that's good to know, but Hank isn't my true father."

"Do you speak of your second Watcher, Slayer?" asked Mryin.

"Yes. He died just before me. What happened?"

"His judgment as your watcher finished recently. Worry not, young one. He is in heaven as well. All those who came before you are in peace, waiting," said Omeniev.

"Waiting for what?"

"For your judgment," was the solemn reply from Altreum.

"Now, let us continue, Great Slayer. I believe we are done with your young childhood. Let us continue on to the years just before you were called, and the events that led you to Sunnydale," said Mryin.

"Yes. We have judged that your childhood was good. You are innocent there, and did nothing truly wrong," said Altreum.

"Um, thank you," said Buffy. I appreciate it."

"You are most welcome," said Omeniev.

"So, let's continue…"

As Altreum started up with the past events again, Omeniev's mind was busy watching another important aspect of Buffy's life…

* * *

**In the Upper Resting Hall…**

"Uuhhh…mmmmm…aaaahhh…nooo…waiiiit…" said the sleeping figure on the bed.

**Outside…**

"Brys, report? How is he?" said the Head Angel of the Resting Hall.

"Not doing so well, sir. He just got here right after her. So far, he hasn't actually slept peacefully yet," replied Brys.

"Well, I'll just have to fix that. He needs to stay here. The moment he wakes up and starts asking questions…"

"But sir! He can't know, not yet. It would ruin the process."

"I know, but you know we can't lie, and we can't exactly keep it from him either. He's too smart, and he will figure it out very quickly. I'll put him in a deeper, more peaceful rest for now, but I have a feeling that regardless of what we do, he will wake up."

"I can feel it too, sir."

"Good Brys, it means your instincts are still working. I have a feeling that the almighty Powers That Be are watching him."

"He's not the only one…."  
"Sssshhh. He stays here. If he wakes up, contact me immediately. Omeniev is calling me for a report. It's not time for him yet. He can't go interrupting this judgment; it's probably one of the biggest yet."

"Understood, sir."

**Back inside the room…**

The previously restless figure finally stopped moving and fell into a deep sleep. However, it was not the sleep that was best part. It was the dream…or rather, a continuation of the only dreams he dreamt now.

Said like a prayer, "Buffy…" was the name on the lips of the face of an angel.

* * *

**So, what did you think? I'm excited, because next chapter Buffy's judgment continues onto the events of the BtVS movie (1992). Spoilers for the movie. I suggest you all watch it if you haven't. Although the effects weren't that great, the story that started it all is important history. I watched it just to make sure I the next chapter right!**

**I liked writing the two memories Buffy sees in this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it too! Please review! PM me if you have any suggestions, ideas, questions, etc. I'd love to talk to another B/A fan!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter! You guys rock. nurjen08 (my first reviewer!), ArthursCamelot (second!), xxdawnbreakerxx (third!), Angellufy, Aly of Ravenclaw , Jeremy Shane, and ba2006 ! THANKS!**

**Oh, and please review! It makes me happy and it inspires and encourages my Muse. More motivation :) Even a short review is great.**

**Until next update...**

**Sincerely,**

**L**

* * *

Chapter Posted: The 28th of May, 2012.

Last Update: The 16th of June, 2012


	3. Memories of Living in Los Angeles, CA

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all who reviewed! I'm sorry that this came so late. I finally have some break time now, so I did what I wanted. I immersed myself in fanfiction for quite a while. I got my inspiration back and now, I'm back to writing some! I'll try and keep this note short. This chapter ended up a little differently than I wanted to, but hey. It works, right? Plus, I didn't want to make you all wait any longer. Sorry again! Enjoy the story!**

**There are a few spoilers for Buffy the Movie (1992) in here. Not many right now, but I may go back later and add a few memories.**

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Buffy and Angel. However, the story, its ideas, and some of the characters are mine.

Note about different chapter titles: the chapter title below is different than the "official one because there wasn't enough space to put all of it. So, I had to change the official one, but I'm leaving the original here. :)

* * *

_**Chapter 3: It All Started Like This…Memories of: Buffy the Movie**_

* * *

Unnoticed by anyone, Omeniev brought his full attention back to the Slayer's Final Judgment. He hadn't missed anything important.

"Let's continue. You grew up in Los Angeles, California with your parents. You still had your childhood innocence when high school rolled around," said Altrem.

"Oh yeah…those were the days. Are you all sure that you would like to go through those Hemery High days?" questioned Buffy.

"We must go through everything, Slayer," Mryin stated succinctly.

"You all are the judges."

No response from the Bench.

"How much do you remember?" said Altreum.

"More than my childhood, obviously. I remember enough to say that I can't think of anything bad up to Hemery."

"You are correct. There is no need to show you memories from there as the important memories are all that you need. However, it should be noted that you protected your young friends well. Again, those qualities of you have not changed," said Omeniev.

"Oh the dangers of the middle school playground…" Buffy wistfully said.

"Yes…" agreed Omeniev with a smile.

"So, as you know, Slayer, there is a lot we must discuss pertaining to the year of your calling and just after," began Altreum.

"Yes. Surprisingly, I remember my first day. It was one of the only times I've ever felt unsure of myself or insecure…well, at school at least. Back then, I knew I was pretty. I used that to my advantage, but I still felt unsure. Of course, I didn't show it."

* * *

_**Flashback to Buffy's first day of high school at Hemery High School in Los Angeles, California.**_

_A young, pretty girl walks in the front doors of Hemery High. She is unsure of exactly what to expect, but she expects an adventure. Little does she know that this year is the year when her entire life will change and her destiny will be revealed._

"_Hi," Buffy cautiously says to the girl whose locker is next to Buffy's._

"_Oh, um, hi," says the brunette back._

"_I love your shirt! Where did you get it?" asks Buffy._

"_Oh, from that brand new store at the mall. We should go sometime!" replied the brunette._

"_Yeah, I'd love to. I'm Buffy Summers."_

"Oh, I remember that. That's when I thought I had met my best friend back during my Hemery High Days."

"Yes, but what did you learn?" asked Mryin.

"Oh, I learned that she wasn't really my friend. I was so shallow at the time, but then again, so was she. Luckily I stopped being friends with her when I grew up."

"Some might say that you grew up to fast, Slayer," said Altreum.

"Well, I did. At that time, I really was an innocent girl who become the queen of high school. I had the basketball jock boyfriend, I was the captain of the cheerleading squad, and I ended up being the Fiesta Queen. I even thought it was great when I was elected Prom Queen. Yeah, those were the days," Buffy reminisced. "I really have changed, a lot. I'm glad that Buffy Summers, High School Queen Bee and shallow ditz, are gone."

"Yes, we understand all that. We are concerned with what happened when you became the Slayer. That is the most important event during that time," said Mryin.

"Altreum, may we show Buffy some of her first watcher's memories?" asked Omeniev.

"Wait, you all can show me his memories?"

"Certainly, Slayer. Would you like to see what happened just before you were called?" asked Altreum.

"Yes, please."

Mryin raised a hand, and a light surrounded the room.

_**Flashback to 1997, 12 hours after the previous Slayer has died. The Watchers Council Headquarters in London, England.**_

"_Sir, I have some urgent news," said the messenger._

"_All right, let's hear it," said the Quentin Travers, current head of the Watcher's Council._

"_I'm sorry to report, sir, but the current Slayer just died. Regretfully, her watcher died as well. We stopped receiving reports. A retrieval and clean up team have already been sent."  
On the other side of the circle, a male watcher took a silent but sharp intake of breath. He had just translated a prophecy that stated the current Slayer would die today. That meant that the rest of the prophecy of the new Slayer had to be true as well…_

"_I'm sorry to hear that. She was so young and only lasted so long. She had so much potential. Oh well, we can't do anything about it. When will the team return? I need a report."_

"_They were sent early this morning and should return tomorrow."_

"_Good, good," said Travers. "You may go. Let me know when the retrieval and clean –up teams return."_

"_Yes, sir," replied the messenger. A moment later, the messenger was gone._

_Next, the head of the council turned to his colleagues._

_As for the Slayer, who is next? I hope that one of the current potentials we have been watching is called."_

_The watcher who had translated a prophecy not hours before spoke up._

"_Sir, I think I may have an idea."_

"_Let's hear it then, old boy," said Travers to Winston Smith._

"_Of course. As you know, I recently translated a prophecy. The accuracy of it was questionable, as it seemed a little farfetched, but it said the current Slayer would die. As the messenger just told us, she did."_

"_Is that all?"_

"_No, sir. It also gave hints as to the new Slayer to be called. Unfortunately, it references a girl who has been hidden."_

"_Meaning?"_

"_She will not be one of the ones with training prior to being called. However, that is only the first part of the prophecy?"_

"_What about the rest?"_

"_We don't know, sir. The rest is missing. It appears that we don't have it, and I don't know why. However, I think that this particular slayer is referenced in other prophecies too. I think this is the one."_

"_We can't know for sure. The time may fit, but we are still in the dark. Find the rest of the prophecy and all information that pertains to this Slayer."_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_Any questions?" asked Travers to the entire room._

_Silence._

"_Very well then. Meeting adjourned," stated Travers._

_After everyone had left, Travers called for his assistant. "Contact Merrick. I think it is time he trains another Slayer."_

_The assistant left to follow his order._

_10 minutes later, an older Watcher who had trained previous Slayers walked in. Though he looked like an old-gray haired man on the outside, he truly did understand the Slayers better than most. It was a quality that made him one of the best mentors to the Slayers._

_He addressed Travers. "Sir, you called for me?"_

"_Yes, Merrick. I trust that you heard the news?"_

"_Yes. The current Slayer is dead and the new one is not one of the ones we have been watching."_

"_Correct. Since you are the most experienced and are better equipped to train a Slayer who will not learn of her calling until told, will you accept this assignment?"_

"_Of course, Quentin. I will do everything I can to ensure that she receives proper training and is prepared."_

"_I knew I could count on you. I need you to leave immediately. We know that she currently lives on the west side of America. You will fly to Atlanta with our jet. By the time you land, you should have travel plans given to you for her location. Hopefully, we will have located her by then."_

"_Understood,sir. Is there anything else I should know for this Slayer? It is within the end of this century and-"  
"I will let you know if there is. For now, she needs to be found and trained."_

"_Yes, sir. I will go now. As soon as I find her and have made contact, you will receive a report."_

"_Thank you. Oh and Merrick."_

"_Yes, Quentin?"_

"_Good luck, Merrick. I have a feeling about this Slayer. Something tells me that she will not be one of the average ones and will not die quickly."_

"_I have the same feeling too, sir. Good day." Then, Merrick walked out of the Watchers Council Meeting Room. It was to be the last time he would see the room and speak to the Head of the Watcher's Council._

_24 hours later, Merrick was in the City of Angels and tracking the new Slayer. He reviewed the dossier. Buffy Anne Summers, born in 1981 to Joyce and Hank Summers in Los Angeles. Training: none. Description: average height, blond hair. Personality: unknown. Current school: Hemery High School and its address. Hobbies: cheerleading, shopping, hanging out in clubs. Notes: possible Slayer described in multiple prophecies as "The One." She lives in the right time, but another could be called before the turn of the century. That was all the information_

_Not if Merrick could help it. He would protect this Slayer with his life if he had too. Not many were willing to bond with their Slayers, but it was the only way that Slayers would truly trust a Watcher._

_He finished reading the file, located the school on the map, and promptly turned the light off. The small hotel room was instantly thrown into darkness. _

"_Tomorrow, I show a girl her destiny. I pray that she is ready and can handle it, for I have a feeling that she is the one in the prophecies. Maybe the Slayers will stop dying so quickly now. She already has an unorthodox start since she is ignorant of her calling. I have a lot of work to do," thought Merrick. These were his last thought before falling asleep._

The light dimmed and disappeared. A small tear in Buffy's eye was quickly wiped away.

"Thank you for showing me that. I will always remember Merrick for teaching me how to be a Slayer and being one of my first true friends."

"Yes. Your first Watcher is here as well. Since he essentially was a noble Watcher and sacrificed himself for you, he had no trouble entering heaven."

"Good. He always told me that he would do whatever it took to keep me alive. Hopefully, I'll be able to thank him. That reminds me, I never did like Quentin Travers. Watcher or not, I never liked him."

"Understood, but let's go back to the beginning. Will you explain to me the day of your calling?" said Mryin.

Again, Buffy felt like she couldn't remember something. She knew that it was important and relevant to the current discussion, but it was if someone was blocking it.

"It was bright and sunny the day I was called. I walked down the stairs with my lollipop and sat. Moments later, Merrick appeared. I thought he was weird and didn't believe him. Eventually, he convinced me," said Buffy. Again she had the feeling that there was an important detail missing from the day. Still, she continued.

"Eventually, I fought my first vampire and learned of my destiny to be the one girl in this generation to fight evil." Buffy continued to recount the early days of training as a Slayer.

* * *

**The Upper Resting Hall** **for Weary Souls**

"Mmmm…uhh…no…Buffy..."

The dark-haired form sleeping on the bed was finally waking up. Though he had been put in a lighter sleep, the magic could not keep him down for long. Moments later, Angel quickly sat up in the bed and opened his eyes. He couldn't remember where he was. The entire room was white and rather plain. He then noticed that his clothes were no longer covered in blood. His signature leather duster looked as good as new.

He attempted to get up, but stopped when the door opened. The figure walked inside. Ironically, two different types of angels stared at each other. The one clad in leather studied the white form in front of him. He appeared calm, but Angel could sense nervousness underneath his hard exterior. Questions he wanted answers to very quickly suddenly flew out of his mouth.

"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here? What happened?" demanded Angel.

"Please calm down, Angel. I am well, an angel. You are in a space between afterlife dimensions that we call Limbo. You must pass through here to enter Heaven."

Though Angel was already confused, he became even more so when his most recent memories flooded his brain. Flashes of demons, swords, darkness, fire, lighting, and blood raced through his mind. Then, memories that had not taken place in the heat of battle surfaced. Flashes of light teased his mind. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember.

"So…I died? Again?"

"Essentially, yes. Most souls are brought here when they die. You've been asleep for quite a while. We had to induce a deep sleep so you could rest. Now that you're awake, there are a few things you should know."

Angel nodded his head.

"First, you may call me Brys. You are in what we call the Resting Hall," he began.

"_Original," _thought Angel.

Brys continued. "Since you're here, you have died your final death. I know your story. You should know that you have been here before. The first time was an extended stay. You were not meant to go back, but as you know, very old and very powerful magic sent you back to Earth."

"That was when my demon had control of my body, isn't it?" Angel asked. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, that is when Angelus was free. However, that was not you. Your soul was here. After returning to your body, we were told not to pull you back. Our orders were to wait until your return. It was sooner that we thought, but only for a short time. The second time-" Brys immediately stopped talking and looked away. Angel did not fail to notice.

"The second time what?" Angel asked.

Brys felt very lucky that part of this soul's memories was being repressed, but he knew it wouldn't hold for long. He had to steer the conversation away from the current soul being judged by the three highest Diving Judges. Otherwise…Brys did not want to think about what might happen.

"Um, nothing. You were here for a while and then you were sent back. It wasn't meant to happen, but…" Again, Brys chose to shut his mouth before _he_ was the one responsible.

"Tell me."

Knowing he could not lie, Brys attempted to stall. "Um, um…magic by a witch and a Sl-"

At the main entrance of the hall, the Head Angel of the Resting Hall was literally flying down the corridor. He had to reach Angel and Brys before all of the soul's memories returned. He could already feel them slipping away from him. Not good. The hall was coming up on his left soon, but he couldn't fly fast enough.

At this moment, the remaining of the memories which belonged to the soul returned. The force of it felt like the time Angel had fallen on the pavement from a building and had _not_ landed well. Angel closed his eyes as he remembered his entire life. Born in Ireland in 1727. Mother. Father. Kathy. Darla. His turning. Then fainter memories that lasted over 100 years flew through his mind. Drusilla. Spike.

Brys understood what was happening and quickly dashed out the hall, searching for his superior. Then, he saw him. "Sir, hurry! They're all coming back!" exclaim Brys. "I'm coming. Keep him in there!" yelled the Head Angel back.

Back inside, Angel's memories continued to flood his mind. After living on the streets, Whistler rescued Angel. He took him to Los Angeles from New York and….Angel hit a mental wall; however, Angel was too strong for it and simply pushed through. Then, he remembered that fateful day in Los Angeles with Whistler.

"BUFFY!" yelled Angel. He remembered. He had never forgotten, but he had buried those memories. Now Angel knew what the flashes of light were that he had remembered during his last battle. Buffy preparing and fighting. Their last night together. More and more memories returned. The Harvest. Buffy's 17th birthday. Love. Pain. Angelus. Acathla. Hell. His return. The Mayor's attempted ascension. His heart left in Sunnydale as he walked away, leaving her behind. Meeting Cordelia and Doyle. Oh god, the day that never was. Everything returned. However, as usual, Buffy was the one thing that he would always remember the most.

The Head Angel finally made it to the room. He and Brys watched as the memories overloaded Angel for a moment and he fell back onto the bed.

"Sir…"

"I heard, Brys. We can't stop him now. I just hope that he doesn't…"

Angel regained consciousness.

"WHERE IS BUFFY? I KNOW SHE'S HERE. I CAN FEEL HER. I WANT TO KNOW. I NEED TO SEE HER!"

Neither could lie. Both understood that if they didn't tell him quickly, he was going to wake up the other souls. They opted to skip the stalling and just tell him for fear of being trampled.

"She is in the Judgment Hall with the Divine Judges. They're judging here. It's private and you can't-"

"Don't tell me that I can't see her. I can _feel_ her. She is here, and something is off. Her memory is suppressed too, isn't it? Well, good luck to you all because you are going to need it. If I can feel her, she can feel _me_. I am going to see her. Right now."

Brys tried to calm Angel down. "No, I'm sorry but you can't go in there right now. It's private!"

"JUST TRY AND STOP ME," yelled Angel. He got up off the bed and headed for the door.

"Brys, fly there NOW and tell them that he is coming. I wish we could stop him, but we can't. They need to know now, NOW! Maybe they can stop him," ordered the Head Angel.

Angel was two steps from the door when Brys shot past him and flew down the hall.

Angel turned to the other angel, "If you won't help me find her, then I will find her myself. Nothing else matters to me."

The angel watched as a very determined soul, a former vampire, ran out of the hall.

"Just great," thought the angel, "I can't lie to him, stop him, or show him the way. He'll probably just tear up the place and cause chaos. Sheesh. They told me he was not going to be much of problem. He will be calm and quiet, they said. He will listen to you and _not_ chase her, they said. RIGHT."

Angel followed his instincts. He reached the end of the Resting Hall and stopped for a minute to calm himself and think of how to find the "Judgment Hall."

* * *

**The Hall of Champions in the Hall of Judgment. Same time.**

"Lothos was a great victory for you, Slayer," said Mryin.

"Thank you. At the time, I was scared. Even Merrick was scared. Looking back, I realize that there are a million ways I could have done that better. What I wouldn't give to just turn the clock back and start over with what I know now."

"Ah, but that is how we learn. We make mistakes, we grow, and we get better at what we do. However, most of the time our lives don't always depend on it, but for you it is very important that you do learn. You did well for facing your first Master Vampire. Not many Slayers could defeat one within their first years."

"Thank you. I realize now that he didn't want to actually hurt me, and I never did get an explanation. Could you explain why?" asked Buffy.

"Yes. Lothos believed that I saw somehow his destiny. Why?"

"Lothos was a Master Vampire. In fact, he ruled your Los Angeles when you were there. He had. The last Slayer before you had been nowhere near him, so he had no fear. He ruled and those weaker than him obeyed. The nearest threat to him was in Sunnydale where the Master of the Order of Aurelius was imprisoned. However, since the Master was trapped, he posed no true threat. Lothos was King until the last Slayer died from another Master, and you were called. Then, Lothos felt you. He had heard of a prophecy long ago and mistakenly believed that you were the Slayer in it," explained Omeniev.

"Me?"

"Yes. He thought you were part of his destiny, Great Slayer," said Mryin.

"No, I've been the object of too many prophecies."

"You have indeed, but this prophecy was about you. However, …..he was not the right vampire."

A lost thought about the right vampire briefly made it to the edges of Buffy's mind; however, it was suppressed as the others were. The magick keeping those thoughts at bay was slowly weakening. Soon, the judges would be able to keep it from Buffy no longer.

The Judges shared a quick look as if to say, "Do you feel him too?"

He was coming, and they could not stop him for long. They could slow him down, but not stop him. He was too strong and had support from someone.

"Who…" Buffy began, but stopped. She had forgotten what she was going to say. So, she simply continued.

"My Watcher died protecting me. I couldn't save him."

The judges returned to looking at Buffy.

"Yes, he did. That was his destiny in his life. To train Slayers, more specifically to train you. He was indeed supposed to protect you. For sacrificing his life for you, he fulfilled his destiny. It was not your fault. It is not a strike against you. We admire you for maturing at that moment and for killing Lothos. I must ask though, why did you involve a human? It is normally not a good thing."

"I befriended Pike. It was the first true friend I had. The old Buffy was shallow. The new Slayer Buffy version of me had finally found a real person to talk too, not one that was as shallow as me. At the time, I did like him, but it wasn't meant to be. Besides, Pike helped me to take down Lothos at the dance. He supported me."

"We understand, Slayer. For that, we shall accept your reasoning. The only reason we do is because he was actually useful to you. He helped you to understand and sort through your new life. However, you truly did protect him and tried to keep him out of harm. For that, we commend you," said Altreum.

"You all really don't mind? Then, thanks," Buffy said, grateful for their understanding.

* * *

**Angel at the exit to the Resting Hall.**

"_I need to find her. AH! I can feel her, but I can't reach her! If this is Heaven, Limbo. Whatever. Why can't I find her?"_

"_Go forward and left,"_ a voice whispered to him.

Angel did as the voice told him. He found a door etched with intricate designs.

"_Open it," _came the voice again.

Not willing to argue, Angel decided to follow the voice's instructions.

The door revealed an elevator. Behind him, Brys and the superior watched, dumbfounded, as Angel simply stepped into the elevator. It disappeared and Angel was gone.

"Sir, what do we do now?" asked Brys.

"I don't know. There shouldn't be an elevator there. Maybe…no. We cannot follow him now. Omeniev and the others know he is coming. They can't stop him, but they can prepare. Hopefully, he will not ruin it."

"Understood, sir. What should I do now?"

"Return to your post. Do your job. I will let you know how this turns out later."

Brys did as his superior told him to and walked back to the Resting Hall. The superior stayed a moment longer and stared at the empty space that had previously held the non-existent elevator. Then, he turned and went back to his office. Too many unexplained things had been happening in the last couple of year.

"_Just what are the Powers doing?"_he thought.

**In the elevator**

Angel would have been pacing as the elevator silently glided along, but there wasn't enough space. He simply settled for leaning against the wall and staring at the door. Angel began to calm down a little, but he was still disoriented and a little mad. All of this was simply too much.

"_What's going on?" _Angel thought.

"_All will be revealed. Follow the path,"_ said the voice.

Angel acquiesced and stopped wondering.

Finally, Angel felt the elevator ceased. The doors slid open to reveal another white marble hallway. Columns lined the hall to the end. Frames were stuck along the sides of the unusually long hallway at every height. Angel gazed upon the walls that depicted history.

In fact, Angel was gazing at the most important events in history as he walked along. Halfway down, the history changed and he saw other things that he recognized. Then, he came across an odd section of the wall. A beautiful frame took up an entire section between two columns. One side was blank, while the other half had a mirror. Angel, startled, gasped. He could see his reflection. He looked as he had when he died. He even still had the same clothes on. His eternally handsome face stared back. Angel could not believe it. He hadn't seen his own reflection in over 200 years. How could this be?

"_All will be explained,"_ whispered the voice, _"Continue to the doors. There, you will find your other half."_

Again, Angel obeyed, but not before looking back at the stunning frame. At this backwards glance, Angel noticed the line of read the formed a heart around the frame.

Then, Angel heard a very familiar voice. One that made him feel hope. It calmed him some more, but it also sent him into a mad dash to the end of the hall. Angel was even more enraged now since he could her Buffy, but couldn't reach her. He made it to the giant doors and stopped. He tried to knock, but he couldn't hear a sound.

**The Hall of Judgment**

"So, that's how it all went down. Everything in my days of Los Angeles. I celebrated my 16th birthday after that chapter in Las Vegas with Pike. We were lost and confused, but we did have each other. Eventually, we had to go back. I did, and I ended up in a mental institution because my parents didn't believe me at first. The next thing I knew, my parents were divorced. I went with my mother and we went to Sunnydale. That's where things really began."

Buffy finished and looked the judges. They had been quietly communication in their heads regarding the soul outside. They could hear the beating, but Buffy couldn't. Then, they felt another presence.

"Um…hello?" said Buffy. She turned to where they were staring. The doors she had come in.

"_Why are they staring at the doors?" _thought Buffy.

**Outside the Hall of Judgment**

Angel began to furiously pound on the doors. When he realized that it wasn't working, Angel turned around and ran down the hall. When he had gone a fourth of the way, he turned around and prepared to simply run into the doors. In this state, Angel's logic was that his body weight would simply force the doors open when he rammed into them. He was only half correct. Heaven help anyone who tried to stop a determined Angel.

**Inside**

Buffy, who was still staring questioningly at the doors, then heard the furious pounding on the doors. She heard a voice yell, "Open the door! I need to come in!" The voice registered in her mind. Suddenly, the memories that had been suppressed returned. The judges knew that they couldn't keep him out, and simply stopped attempting to. They had just been ordered to release the Slayer's memories and allow what had never happened to happen. A final judgment was going to be interrupted, by another soul no less. They shared a glance. Mryin waved a hand in the direction of the door.

"What's going on?" asked Buffy. She was about to find out.

**Outside**

Angel hadn't noticed the other invisible presence with him. He took off running, pouring all of his anger and need to find Buffy into his sprint. The invisible presence helped him by unlocking the doors. He had just reached the doors and busted into them.

**Inside**

The judges sat in silence at the Bench as the soul known as Angel flew through the doors. For once, they showed emotion and stared open-mouthed in shock. They could not believe that a soul had actually dared to break down their doors and interrupt them. It was one thing to know it was coming, but another to see it actually happen. They were still unsure of how he had actually gotten here and entered. It should not have been possible.

Buffy was shocked and only had a moment to say, "Angel?" before she was tackled to the ground by him.

"Buffy!" he yelled as they went down. The floor didn't hurt. Though neither needed to breath, both were rapidly breathing.

"Angel, what are you doing here? When did you? How? Why?" said Buffy, extremely confused.

"I don't know, but I feel better now. Much better now that I finally found you," Angel said as he picked himself up. He brought Buffy up with him and crushed her in a hug worthy of the strength of the vampire he once was.

As I things weren't already confusing, Omeniev surprised everyone by saying, "Welcome, Angel. And welcome, Vimarik. It has been a long time. What brings you to the Judgment Hall?"

* * *

**So, the longer AN will be at the end of the chapters. I don't like making you all wait for the story.**

**All right! Angel is here! I'm so excited! As I said before, this chapter didn't turn out the exact way I wanted, but it works. I wanted to get Angel in there for you all. :)**

**Sorry, but I'm not going to lie. The next update will not be until July! I'm so sorry! I wish I could update sooner, but I'm going on a 10 day vacation! I wont be back home until June 30!**

**Small Note: I also went back and made minor changes to the first two chapters.**

**The rating on this may go to T, simply for some language and maybe some kissage that will likely come up. It's just the way I see it. I doubt this will offend anyone, but if it does, sorry!**

******Please review! I read each and every one, and they really make my day happy! Also, it makes my muse happy! Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, those who will, and to those who have added my story to alerts, etc. It made me smile :) It makes writing this story that much more fun and enjoyable. I would love to hear any and all feedback, even if it's short! Thank you to all of you for reading!**

******Sincerely,**

******L**

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Chapter Posted: The 16th of June, 2012

Last Updated: The 17th of June, 2012


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